Combat Press Kickboxing Rankings: May 2025

As kickboxing continues to grow on a global scale with promotions like GLORY, K-1, ONE Championship, and more, fighters are constantly jockeying for position in the eyes (and rankings) of the media. Every month, Combat Press will compile kickboxing rankings for each weight class from heavyweight to strawweight, as well as the pound-for-pound rankings for both men and women.

Note: the numbers in parentheses represent the fighter’s ranking from the previous month.

1. Rico Verhoeven (1)
2. Levi Rigters (2)
3. Bahram Rajabzadeh (3)
4. Kevin Tariq Osaro (4)
5. Ariel Machado (6)
6. Jamal Ben Saddik (7)
7. Nico Pereira Horta (8)
8. Rade Opačić (5)
9. Sofian Laidouni (9)
10. Iraj Azizpour (10)

The biggest event of the month took lace on Apr. 5, when GLORY 99: Last Heavyweight Standing delivered the first round of the 2025 GLORY heavyweight tournament, which consisted of 16 fights. No. 3 Bahram Rajabzadeh No. 4 Kevin Tariq Osaro, No. 9 Sofian Laidouni, and No. 10 Iraj Azizpour all scored some form of TKO or knockout, and all four keep their spots in the rankings. No. 7 Jamal Ben Saddik also scored a decision win over Cristian Ristea in the headliner bout. However a mid-rankings shake-up occurred after eighth-ranked Nico Pereira Horta knocked out No. 5 Rade Opačić in the second round with a right cross. This moved Ariel Machado, Ben Saddik and Pereira Horta u one notch, and Opačić falls to No. 8.

1. Tarik Khbabez (1)
2. Donegi Abena (2)
3. Bahram Rajabzadeh (3)
4. Sergej Maslobojev (4)
5. Cem Cáceres (5)
6. Ștefan Lătescu (6)
7. Thian de Vries (7)
8. Michael Boapeah (8)
9. Ibrahim El Bouni (9)
10. Mory Kromah (10)

In addition to No. 3 light heavyweight Bahram Rajabzadeh’s win in the heavyweight tournament at GLORY 99, tenth-ranked light heavyweight Mory Kromah scored a win that same night with a TKO by injury over Nicolas Wamba. The light heavyweight rankings remain unchanged.

1. Donovan Wisse (1)
2. Islam Murtazaev (2)
3. Sergey Ponomarev (3)
4. Michael Boapeah (4)
5. Ulric Bokeme (5)
6. Serkan Özçağlayan (6)
7. Sergej Braun (7)
8. Mohamed Touchassie (8)
9. Eduard Aleksanyan (9)
10. Bilal Bakhouche-Chareuf (-)

Dropped from the rankings: Aleksandar Petrov (10)

Before getting the April results, tenth-ranked Aleksandar Petrov has been removed from the rankings due to inactivity. In his place, Bilal Bakhouche-Chareuf enters the rankings. His last loss was a year ago, when he dropped a bid for the WAKO-Pro K-1 World Light Heavyweight (-81.4 kg) title to now-seventh-ranked Sergej Braun. However, on Apr. 4, at Superstars Event 7, he won the vacant WMC World Super Light-heavyweight (-81kg) title with a decision win over Aaron Ortiz. Braun was also in action on Apr. 5 when he scored a unanimous decision over Ali Yuzeir at Battle of Barock IV to defend the aforementioned title. He keeps his No. 7 spot.

1. Regian Eersel (1)
2. Alexis Nicolas (2)
3. Chico Kwasi (3)
4. Tyjani Beztati (4)
5. Endy Semeleer (5)
6. Dmitry Menshikov (6)
7. Teodor Hristov (7)
8. Jay Overmeer (8)
9. Jamie Bates (9)
10. “Hamicha” Mohamed Mezouari (10)

The only two welterweights in action this month were the No. 1 Regian Eersel and No. 2 Alexis Nicolas, as they finally had their rubber match for the ONE lightweight kickboxing title at ONE Fight Night 30. Eersel picked up the majority decision win, and the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Superbon Singha Mawynn (1)
2. Marat Grigorian (2)
3. Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (3)
4. Tyjani Beztati (4)
5. Ouyang Feng (5)
6. Younes Smaili (6)
7. Tayfun Özcan (7)
8. Kaito Ono (8)
9. Kacper Muszyński (9)
10. Luo Chao (10)

The only ranked lightweight in action in April was No. 3 Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, who lost by knockout due to a body punch to Nico Carrillo at ONE Fight Night 30 on Apr. 5. However, this was a Muay Thai bout, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Jia Aoqi (1)
2. Bobo Sacko (2)
3. David Mejia (3)
4. Riki Matsuoka (4)
5. Han Wenbao (5)
6. Zhou Jiaqiang (6)
7. Meison Hide Usami (7)
8. Takumi Sanekata (8)
9. Hiromi Wajima (9)
10. Darryl Verdonk (10)

The only super featherweight in the rankings was No. 2 Bobo Sacko, who had a Muay Thai bout at Thai Boxing Showtime 7 when won a unanimous decision over Dejrit Sitsongpeenong. The rankings remain unchanged.

1. Petchpanomrung Kiatmoo9 (1)
2. Miguel Trindade (2)
3. Chadd Collins (3)
4. Jonathan Haggerty (4)
5. Ilias Ennahachi (5)
6. Wei Rui (6)
7. Hiroki Akimoto (7)
8. Tetsuya Yamato (8)
9. Kento Haraguchi (9)
10. Kiamran Nabati (10)

No top-10 fighters were in action this month, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Yuki Yoza (1)
2. Giorgi Malania (2)
3. Hirotaka Asahisa (3)
4. Zhu Shuai (4)
5. Chadd Collins (5)
6. Zhao Chongyang (6)
7. Jin Ying (7)
8. Kan Nakamura (8)
9. Wei Weiyang (9)
10. Yuma Saikyo (10)

No top-10 fighters were in action this month, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Superlek Kiatmoo9 (1)
2. Rodtang Jitmuangnon (2)
3. Takeru Segawa (3)
4. Hirotaka Asahisa (4)
5. Achraf Aasila (5)
6. Rémi Parra (6)
7. Leona Pettas (7)
8. Taiga Kawabe (8)
9. Yuki Kasahara (9)
10. Tomoya Yokoyama (10)

No top-10 fighters were in action this month, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Takumi Terada (1)
2. Taito Gunji (2)
3. Kaito Sakaguchi (3)
4. Akif Guluzada (4)
5. Haruto Yasumoto (5)
6. Shoki Kaneda (6)
7. Shuhei Kumura (7)
8. Wang Junguang (8)
9. Tatsuya Tsubakihara (9)
10. Ryusei Kumagai (10)

On Apr. 12 at SHOOT BOXING 2025 act.2, No. 3 Kaito Sakaguchi won a unanimous decision over Angelos Giakoumis to keep his spot in the rankings.

1. Shiro Matsumoto (1)
2. Koki Osaki (2)
3. Akihiro Kaneko (3)
4. Rui Okubo (4)
5. Masashi Kumura (5)
6. Ryunosuke Omori (-)
7. Masahiko Suzuki (6)
8. Kompetch Fairtex (7)
9. Prajanchai PK.Saenchai (8)
10. Jonathan Di Bella (9)

Dropped from the rankings: Akram Hamidi (10)

At RISE 187, on Apr. 19, sixth-ranked Masahiko Suzuki lost a unanimous decision to Ryunosuke Omori. Omori enters at No. 6, everyone else moves down, and tenth-ranked Akram Hamidi falls out of the rankings.

Also in action was No. 7 Kompetch Fairtex who lost a second-round knockout to Chartpayak Saksatun at ONE Friday Fights 104. However, that was a Muay Thai fight and has no effect on the rankings.

1. Toki Tamaru (1)
2. Kazuki Osaki (2)
3. Ryujin Nasukawa (3)
4. Kumandoi Petchyindee (4)
5. Ryu Hanaoka (5)
6. Jin Mandokoro (6)
7. Toma Kuroda (7)
8. Issei Ishii (8)
9. Rui Okubo (9)
10. Riamu Sera (10)

No top-10 fighters were in action this month, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Superbon Singha Mawynn (1)
2. Petchpanomrung Kiatmoo9 (2)
3. Marat Grigorian (3)
4. Rico Verhoeven (4)
5. Superlek Kiatmoo9 (5)
6. Shiro Matsumoto (6)
7. Toki Tamaru (7)
8. Kazuki Osaki (8)
9. Donovan Wisse (9)
10. Takumi Terada (10)

No top-10 fighters were in action this month, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Phetjeeja Or.Meekun (1)
2. Koyuki Miyazaki (2)
3. Li Mingrui (3)
4. Martine Michieletto (4)
5. Tessa de Kom (5)
6. Arina Kobayashi (6)
7. Saho Yoshino (7)
8. Jackie Buntan (8)
9. Kira Matsutani (9)
10. Antonia Prifti (10)

On Apr. 12, fifth-ranked Tessa de Kom extended her winning streak to four, when she defended the Enfusion Women’s Strawweight (-52 kg) title with a unanimous decision win over Kyara van der Klooster at Enfusion 148. A week later, tenth-ranked Antonia Prifti got back in the win column with a doctor stoppage of Eva Guillot at La Nuit des Gladiateurs VII to secure the vacant ISKA Oriental rules World Featherweight (-57 kg) title. The rankings remain unchanged.

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Editor’s Note: Fighters are eligible to be ranked if they have competed in the last 18 months. Any fighter that chooses to switch weight classes will be ranked in their previous weight class until they have competed twice in their new division.